Machine for concentrating mineral ores.



PATENTED MAE. 7, 1905 G. R. DUNCAN. MACHINE FOR OONOENTRATING MINERAL ORES.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 16, 1903.

Patented Marchi, 1905.

Artrr GAYLEN RUPERT DUNCAN, OF THREE RIVERS, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TQ DRUMMON D, MCCALL & (.70., A FIR.

MACHINE FOR CONCENTRATlNG WllNEFUtl. ONES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784:,146, dated March 7, 1905.

Application filed May 16, 1903. Serial No. 157,349.

To (,LZZ whom/ft 77b(I/ I/ concern:

Be it known that 1. GAYLnN RUPERT DUN- CAN, master of science, electrical and mining engineer, a subject of His Majesty the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Three Rivers, in the Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful improvements in Machines for Concentrating Mineral Ores, of which thefollowing is a specilication.

My invention relates to machines used for concentrating mineral ores, and has forits object the more perfect and complete separation of the valuable ore from the refuse and to greatly increase the output of the machine by allowing a heavier load of pulp.

My invention is applicable more especially to vibrating concentratingtables.

1n the operation of concentrating where the specific gravities of the valuable ore and the refuse material are closely approximate there is always great difficulty in obtaining a complete separation of the solid material in the pulp on account of the solid matter rapidly settling on the bed of the concentratingtable..

The wash-water which flows in a continuous stream across the solid material as it gradually travels forward, owing to the vibration of the table, does not sufliciently disturb this matter which has settled on the surface of the table. My invention is designed to keep this solid matter disturbed, and thus allow the washwater to more effectually carry off the lighter portion.

it consists in an apparatus to furnish a shower of water in drops arranged to be adjustable as to its height, by which means the intensity of the action maybe increased or diminished.

Reference will be made to the annexed drawings, in which--- Figure 1 shows a plan view of a rectangular concentrating-table with my apparatus in position; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same apparatus; Fig. 3, a plan view of a diagonal concentrating-table.

My apparatus consists of a rhomboidal pan, in the bottom of which are pierced a large number of small holes. The pan is hung upon adjustable supports attached to the stationary frame of the machine or to the floor or foundation on which table sits. A suitable supply of water feeds the pan. The position and shape of the pan will vary somewhat according to the design of the machine; but it is to be so arranged as to act upon the pulp after it has left the feed-box and is proceeding toward the concentrates-box and the tailings-box. The number of holes to be pierced in the bottom of the pan will depend upon the amount of agitation in the solid material required to cause a complete separation. Thus where the refuse is much lighter than the concentrates a narrower pan with fewer apertures will answer. The height to which the pan-supports are adjusted will regulate the impact force of the drops, and will also depend upon the difference in specific gravity of the refuse and the concentrates. A suitable tap to the waterfeed will regulate the amount of water supplied to the pan.

In operation it is found that the solid mat ter in the pulp coming under the influence of the drops of water is disturbed and the lighter portions are more readily acted upon by the wash-water. The table 1 is given a reciprocating or gyrating vibration by the operating mechanism 10. The pulp-feedbox 2 and the wash-water box 3 extend along the side which is raised, so that the flow of the pulp and wash-water is in the direction of the arrows 21 31. The tailings-box is situated at the opposite side of the table, while the concentrates are collected at the end of the table in the box t. The heavier portion of the pulp settles on the surface of the table and is carried toward the far end of the table by the vibration approximately in the direction of the arrow 92. The washwater flows across this advancing bed of material. The rhomboidal-shaped pan 6, with a perforatedbottom 61, is suspended over this area on zuljustable supports (.32. ln Fig. 2 the uprights 62-) have adjustmentscrews (i i to raise or lower the cross-bars 62. A shower of drops falls on the stream of wash-water and disturbs the bed of material beneath. The effect of this is to enable the wash-water to carry oil the lighter portion, While the amount of wash-water is thus also increased. By means of this attachment to a concentrating-table not only is the efiiciency of separation greatly improved, but the quantity of pulp that can be treated by a table is largely increased, a difference of over twentyfive per cent. in the output being gained in practice by the use of the attachment.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine of the class described the combination of a pulp-feed, a wash-water supply and a dropping-pan adapted to supply a shower of drops of water upon the stream of Wash-water and the material which has settled on the surface of the machine beneath the stream of wash-water.

2. In aconcentrating table the combination of a pulp-feed, a wash-water supply and a dropping-pan situated upon the area traversed by the concentrates in passing to the ore-box and across which the wash-water flows to the tailings-box and adapted to disturb the washwater and the settled material beneath.

3. The combination with a concentratingtable, of an adjustable dropping-pan adapted to furnish water in the form of drops upon the surface of the table between the pulp-feed and Wash-water supply and the tailing-s and concentrates boxes.

4. In a concentrating-table in which the concentrates pass over the far end of the table for the pulp-feed and the wash-Water passes across the table, a dropping-pan and water-supply adapted to disturb by means of a shower of drops the stream of wash-water and the settled material beneath.

5. In an ore-separator the combination of a vibrating table and a dropping-pan adapted to disturb by means of a shower of drops the whole area in which the concentrates pass across the flow of the wash-Water as described. 6. In an ore-separator a dropping pan adapted to disturb by means of a shower of 

